COVID19: Testing (and vaccination) Requirements to enter India
Nov 21, 2020, 5:31 pm
#16
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 567
On the way back from India to USA what are the covid testing rules? I will be flying EWR-DEL-EWR, so on the way back from DEL-EWR I cannot find any rules for taking a covid test before getting on the flights in DEL, nor any for entering the US in NJ. I live in NJ so have no issues home quarantining if needed. Are there any rules for getting tested before or after the flight on the way back from India to USA? Thanks.
Nov 21, 2020, 7:04 pm
#17
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,019
On the way back from India to USA what are the covid testing rules? I will be flying EWR-DEL-EWR, so on the way back from DEL-EWR I cannot find any rules for taking a covid test before getting on the flights in DEL, nor any for entering the US in NJ. I live in NJ so have no issues home quarantining if needed. Are there any rules for getting tested before or after the flight on the way back from India to USA? Thanks.
However, any special rules for USA will be set by the particular State's government (apart from all the regular entry rules for various passports/countries,etc)
I believe NJ wants international returning pax to quarantine 14 days
Last edited by ft4lyf; Nov 22, 2020 at 7:04 am
Nov 22, 2020, 4:46 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,682
Does anyone have actual experience of this? The traveler (relative of mine) doesn't want to do "home quarantine" because of elderly family members at home, but is worried that if they opt for the 14-days in a hotel they will still be required to do a further 7-days at home.
also, i have made 2 trips over the last couple of months, my parents have made 2 trips over the same time period & a number of other friends & relatives have flown into india recently as well....no one has been called to follow up if you are following quarantine....it just seems to be a 'feel good' factor that the government has adopted to show people they are doing something....
Nov 26, 2020, 6:43 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: EWR
Posts: 894
Hello all - I'm posting a follow-up note on my experience entering India for future travelers. Here is a summary of my experience:
Tamil Nadu: There was an e-pass that was required to be filled out. But at the airport, no one was checking for the paperwork. They only checked for temperature
Karnataka: No one was checking anything. No temperature
Kerala: Visitors were required to fill out the Jagratha form ahead of time and print out. Those who didn't had to fill out the form by hand after landing
Maharashtra: as mentioned above
Other: there is a PCR testing center within the BOM airport. It is before the security check, and takes about 8 hours to get a result. There were some people on my flight who had to get their PCR test before they were allowed to leave the airport.
Aarogya Setu - seems to be hit or miss. At one hotel, I was asked to show the green light on the app before entering. But all I had to do was tell them that I was an international passenger and didn't have the app. No other places asked me for this
Indigo Airlines: did not require Aarogya Setu for boarding. But they did require mandatory web-check in. But if you buy the ticket using a non-Indian credit card, web checkin will be impossible. So each flight segment, I had to go to the check in counter and explain. Indigo requires face mask and face shield on every flight. But on one segment (to Kerala) they asked me to wear a white disposable garment over my clothes. Only those who were in the aisle rows were required to wear it. But on other segments, the wearing of the white garments were optional. I couldn't figure out why they had differing policies.
- COVID PCR testing with quick turnaround was not easy to find in northeast US. Since cases were spiking, the labs had lots of samples to run. I took one test 3 days prior to departure (Labcorp) and another 2 days prior to departure (Quest). The Labcorp sample arrived while I was in mid-air to India. The Quest sample took nearly a week to arrive. So keep this in mind when deciding which lab to get your samples sent to.
- I tried to upload my results to the Air Suvidha website when I was in the air. The first time I submitted it, I was in a rush and selected the wrong exemption category "serious Illness" instead of "negative PCR test". After waiting about 5-6 hours, then uploaded a second exemption request, this time with the proper category. Did not receive any sort of response by email. One of the guys who boarded next to me in the airplane said he uploaded his PCR certiicate to the Air Suvidha website and got a response in 15 mins. So this made me very worried.
- Upon landing, United did not have any of the standard arrivals form that is typically used for Indian immigration. And all of the counters lining the immigration hall did not have any of these forms either. I was the second person in line for immigration, and the officer insisted that everyone had to fill out the forms before entering. This seemed pretty ridiculous because everyone of us had the Air Suvidha printouts with us, and it had the exact same information. After this, we were sent to another area to show the PCR tests. I had it on my ipad and the guy looked it for about 5 secs and then waved me on. He stamped my boarding pass (not my wrist interestingly) and then sent me to customs.
- The customs area people were segregated into those with Arogya Setu and those without. As an international without an Indian mobile, I did not have Arogya Setu installed, so I entered another line. Here they gave out small slips of paper stating that Arogya setu was waived, and then the customs officer let us through. Trying to activate the Arogya Setu with a US mobile number (while in India) did not work. Seems to only work with an Indian (+91) mobile for activation.
- Was then able to get my bag and then quickly exited the airport. In total it took about 30 mins, and I was one of the first off of the plane. So overall much better than I expected.
Tamil Nadu: There was an e-pass that was required to be filled out. But at the airport, no one was checking for the paperwork. They only checked for temperature
Karnataka: No one was checking anything. No temperature
Kerala: Visitors were required to fill out the Jagratha form ahead of time and print out. Those who didn't had to fill out the form by hand after landing
Maharashtra: as mentioned above
Other: there is a PCR testing center within the BOM airport. It is before the security check, and takes about 8 hours to get a result. There were some people on my flight who had to get their PCR test before they were allowed to leave the airport.
Aarogya Setu - seems to be hit or miss. At one hotel, I was asked to show the green light on the app before entering. But all I had to do was tell them that I was an international passenger and didn't have the app. No other places asked me for this
Indigo Airlines: did not require Aarogya Setu for boarding. But they did require mandatory web-check in. But if you buy the ticket using a non-Indian credit card, web checkin will be impossible. So each flight segment, I had to go to the check in counter and explain. Indigo requires face mask and face shield on every flight. But on one segment (to Kerala) they asked me to wear a white disposable garment over my clothes. Only those who were in the aisle rows were required to wear it. But on other segments, the wearing of the white garments were optional. I couldn't figure out why they had differing policies.
Dec 1, 2020, 9:47 pm
#21
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,942
On the way back from India to USA what are the covid testing rules? I will be flying EWR-DEL-EWR, so on the way back from DEL-EWR I cannot find any rules for taking a covid test before getting on the flights in DEL, nor any for entering the US in NJ. I live in NJ so have no issues home quarantining if needed. Are there any rules for getting tested before or after the flight on the way back from India to USA? Thanks.
Dec 5, 2020, 2:49 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 21
Would like to offer my experience. Uploaded the Covid test result on the Air Suvidha site few hours before departure. Got exemption approval within 10 minutes. At Mumbai (BOM) airport, told the first checkpoint that I have the exemption form and they waved me through (without looking at anything) but gave me another form to fill (pretty much repeating the same information I already uploaded on the Air Suvidha site). After clearing immigration and customs, went into a hallway where checkpoints were created and divided according to destination. I went to the line marked "South States" and the lady at the counter asked me for the form I filled out. I doubt she could read anything I wrote in my bad handwriting, but she noted that I had not signed it. So she asked me to sign it and then sent me on my merry way.
So basically no one checks for any Covid Test results or anything.
So basically no one checks for any Covid Test results or anything.
Dec 5, 2020, 2:55 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,019
Would like to offer my experience. Uploaded the Covid test result on the Air Suvidha site few hours before departure. Got exemption approval within 10 minutes. At Mumbai (BOM) airport, told the first checkpoint that I have the exemption form and they waved me through (without looking at anything) but gave me another form to fill (pretty much repeating the same information I already uploaded on the Air Suvidha site). After clearing immigration and customs, went into a hallway where checkpoints were created and divided according to destination. I went to the line marked "South States" and the lady at the counter asked me for the form I filled out. I doubt she could read anything I wrote in my bad handwriting, but she noted that I had not signed it. So she asked me to sign it and then sent me on my merry way.
So basically no one checks for any Covid Test results or anything.
So basically no one checks for any Covid Test results or anything.
Dec 7, 2020, 5:44 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: EWR
Posts: 894
Hello - just returned today from India, and I have a few more updates
GOI: no requirements for Aarogya setu, or temperature screening. No forms of any kind were required to enter Goa.
DEL: same as above. Because of the lower number of flights, it looks like they were combining operations of domestic + international into the same terminal.
Returning back to USA: No COVID testing required. Depending on which state you are headed to, each has their own set of rules/requirements.
I did read a news report that air travelers out of BOM need to show a negative PCR test if they are coming from Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan or Goa. I did do a domestic segment from BOM, but I was not asked about anything, so take this as you will:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.out...airport-mumbai
Other thing - if you are traveling to India on an OCI card, make sure that you've renewed it properly. There is a separate thread on this. But basically you need to renew it each time you get a new passport up until age 20. Then once again after age 50. If you haven't done this, you could get refused to board the plane. The United airlines personnel were carefully checking OCI cards to make sure they matched the current passport number.
GOI: no requirements for Aarogya setu, or temperature screening. No forms of any kind were required to enter Goa.
DEL: same as above. Because of the lower number of flights, it looks like they were combining operations of domestic + international into the same terminal.
Returning back to USA: No COVID testing required. Depending on which state you are headed to, each has their own set of rules/requirements.
I did read a news report that air travelers out of BOM need to show a negative PCR test if they are coming from Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan or Goa. I did do a domestic segment from BOM, but I was not asked about anything, so take this as you will:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.out...airport-mumbai
Other thing - if you are traveling to India on an OCI card, make sure that you've renewed it properly. There is a separate thread on this. But basically you need to renew it each time you get a new passport up until age 20. Then once again after age 50. If you haven't done this, you could get refused to board the plane. The United airlines personnel were carefully checking OCI cards to make sure they matched the current passport number.
Dec 7, 2020, 6:29 am
#25
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Under the Cone of Silence
Programs: UA Gold; AA Dirt; HH Diamond; National Emerald; CONTROL SecretAgent Platinum; KAOS EvilFlyer Gold
Posts: 1,499
Other thing - if you are traveling to India on an OCI card, make sure that you've renewed it properly. There is a separate thread on this. But basically you need to renew it each time you get a new passport up until age 20. Then once again after age 50. If you haven't done this, you could get refused to board the plane. The United airlines personnel were carefully checking OCI cards to make sure they matched the current passport number.
Thus currently you can travel on a new passport as long as you bring along your old passport that matches the passport number in your OCI card.
If UA is requiring that OCI matches current passport and denying boarding if it doesn't, then UA appears to be in violation of the regs.
Dec 7, 2020, 9:20 am
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: EWR
Posts: 894
The UA gate agents were definitely checking to make sure the passport number on the last page of OCI card matched current passport. Mine matched, so there was no issue. But I was surprised to see them checking myself, as I had heard about the extension. Seems to be that this information isn't reaching the people on the ground.
Dec 7, 2020, 10:37 am
#27
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,187
US Passport renewed - OCI needs to be renewed ?
No problem at all, you just have to carry your old passport. Its messy, but it works.
No problem at all, you just have to carry your old passport. Its messy, but it works.
Dec 7, 2020, 11:15 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Under the Cone of Silence
Programs: UA Gold; AA Dirt; HH Diamond; National Emerald; CONTROL SecretAgent Platinum; KAOS EvilFlyer Gold
Posts: 1,499
US Passport renewed - OCI needs to be renewed ?
No problem at all, you just have to carry your old passport. Its messy, but it works.
No problem at all, you just have to carry your old passport. Its messy, but it works.
Can anyone confirm that TIMATIC has been updated to the new date of June 30, 2021?
Dec 9, 2020, 5:11 pm
#29
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 46
Hi guys.
I'm flying MAN-LHR-BOM next week and just been reading these threads to make sure I don't have any issues.
I know many of you have said you've completed the Air Suvidha exemption just a few hours before arrival - is this both the first and second parts?
OP mentions first form needing to be completed >72hrs before departure so could I do that now and upload RT-PCR >24hrs before departure?
I'm flying MAN-LHR-BOM next week and just been reading these threads to make sure I don't have any issues.
I know many of you have said you've completed the Air Suvidha exemption just a few hours before arrival - is this both the first and second parts?
OP mentions first form needing to be completed >72hrs before departure so could I do that now and upload RT-PCR >24hrs before departure?
Last edited by neverenoughmiles; Dec 9, 2020 at 5:26 pm
Dec 9, 2020, 5:16 pm
#30
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 46
Bit concerned that the article mentions rail passengers. I'll be in Gujarat and then travelling by car to BOM for my return to UK at the end of Dec. UK doesn't have any testing requirements so I wasn't going to take one but does this sound like I'd need to take one before entering the airport or being allowed to board the UK flight (or at a checkpoint if there's any) if I'm coming from Gujarat?